Tisco is already the largest producer of chrome ore and high carbon ferro chrome in the country. It is producing around 50,000 tonnes ferro chrome in it's own furnace and rest by conversion agreements for converting chrome ore into ferro chrome with domestic and foreign producers.

It's production in 1999-2000 should be over 1,20,000 tonnes and raising it to 2,00,000 tonnes in 2000-01 would increase the competition in the domestic market.

Some years ago Tisco had talked of being the biggest ferro chrome producer of Asia, and wanted to be a Samancor of Asia but these dreams faded out due to a steep fall in world prices of ferro chrome and the losses suffered by producers. Tisco also suffered some set backs as it's lease for chrome ore was cut and conversion agreements were not profitable due to high power costs.

Now the management of Tisco has decided to treat chrome ore and ferro chrome as a growth area for exports and has drawn up plans accordingly.

Tisco has also gained much experience in the area and can avoid making any mistakes.

Most of the domestic furnace owners woo Tisco to choose their furnaces for conversion of chrome ore into ferro chrome. There are already five units operating with about nine furnaces and more are likely to join if Tisco increases it's ferro chrome production in the coming years.

The strength of Tisco is the experience it has gained in chrome ore mining and benefication of low grade fines.

It was the first to put up a benefication plant of 1,00,000 tonnes for export and has now increased its capacity to 2,00,000 tonnes and may step up the capacity to 3,00,000 tonnes. Tisco chrome ore concentrates are much in world demand as they are suitable to produce good quality high and low carbon ferro chrome with low phosphorus This emphasis on chrome ore and ferro chrome has the full backing of the management and China is one of the areas where Tisco is sending its chrome ore for conversion into ferro chrome.

Power cost in China is much lower than in India and ferro chrome produced in China is sold in the Japanese and other markets.

Tisco mines about 7,50,000 tonnes of chrome ore in a year nearly 50 per cent of the total production in the country.

It now has plans to increase chrome ore production to a million tones and concentrates production to 300,000 tonnes.

Tisco chrome concentrates with their high chrome content and low impurities is a prized product bought by Japan and many countries for production of better quality high carbon ferro chrome and low carbon ferro chrome .Most of the product is exported.

Recently, Tisco managing director JJ Irani had stated that Tatas would also export their ore to countries where power is cheaper than India and chrome ore would be converted into ferro chrome. This is already being done in China where Tisco has agreements for conversion with a few producers.

With more ferro chrome producers joining in chrome ore mining India will emerge as a large exporter of chrome ore.